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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: tear · pit · bear · snap · cabinet · land · wound · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a hole
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — to come down
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — a country
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bear — to put up with

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