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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. hand — help
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a ring
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chip — for betting
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chip — to eat

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