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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — in a race
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kid — child
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — all right
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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