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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — a safe
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — a friend
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. dip — to sink
  16. last — finally
  17. club — a group
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — to breed

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