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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — to go on
  5. firm — decided
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. last — final
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. firm — steady
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. plane — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com