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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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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: nail · calf · jam · rest · drill · date · pit · tube

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — a break
  14. tube — a container
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. drill — a practice
  20. tube — the underground
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — in a race
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pit — a hole

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