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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: mate · jam · plane · tear · wound · pit · pop · nail

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — to visit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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