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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — the time now
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — in a race
  24. present — a gift

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