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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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Word bank
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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — in golf
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. last — finally
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — a short time
  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