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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — child
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument

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