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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. branch — a division
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — of a bank

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