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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 · dip · temple · cold · pound · firm · nail · cabinet

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pit — a hole
  11. firm — steady
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. firm — decided
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  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