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

Word bank: wake · bay · band · row · dip · pit · present · nail

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. present — the time now
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — there

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