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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — army training
  6. file — a document
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — in a race

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