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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — for pool
  7. swing — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — in a race

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