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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to sink
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stand — to bear
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chair — a leader
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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