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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: fall · pit · nail · mine · cap · lean · key · sharp

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fall — to drop
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — in a race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — thin
  24. fall — the season

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