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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 · scale · lash · stick · content · tear · rock · nail

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rock — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. scale — size or range
  10. content — happy
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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