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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: pit · dip · fine · trunk · straw · nail · stem · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. squash — the sport
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pit — a hole
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fine — high quality
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. dip — a sauce

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