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

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — happening now
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. file — a tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tear — from crying

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