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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. last — final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — an eyelash

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