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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: pit · nail · snap · squash · wake · dip · straw · fan

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. dip — to sink
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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