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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: pit · snap · squash · kick · cell · nail · deal · rash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — a series
  9. cell — a phone
  10. snap — to click
  11. cell — in biology
  12. kick — in football
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — an agreement

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