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

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. content — happy
  18. hide — to keep secret

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