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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — magic
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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