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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · tube · nail · mine · stem · pit · hide · firm

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — decided
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tube — a container
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. firm — steady
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — a hole

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