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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — soda
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — music
  15. firm — decided
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pop — to visit
  24. firm — a company

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