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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to confront
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — electric
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tear — to rip
  24. dip — to dunk

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