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

Word bank: pop · clip · pit · firm · stand · last · nail · shower

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. stand — to bear
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. last — finally
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — a video
  14. firm — decided
  15. shower — rain
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — to wash
  19. clip — for paper
  20. last — to go on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pop — to visit

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