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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: nail · cold · jam · drill · mug · lash · pit · vault

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — the tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cold — an illness
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. drill — army training

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