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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · snap · pit · pop · bat · last · cabinet

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pop — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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