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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — rain
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — a hole

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