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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — steady
  6. bass — low music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. firm — decided
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. firm — a company
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — a line

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