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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rash — hasty
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cap — a hat
  24. tube — a container

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