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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — a trail
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. band — a music group
  18. object — a thing
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. band — a ring
  22. march — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wind — to turn a key

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