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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitcher — a jug

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