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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — boats
  6. tear — from crying
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — in football
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spring — of water
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. race — humankind
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spring — a coil
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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