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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rest — a break
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — to eat
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — music

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