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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — a practice
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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