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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kid — to tease
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kid — child
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — letters
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ruler — for measuring

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