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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — in a race
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pit — a hole
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a ring
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — the fruit
  20. march — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rush — hurry
  24. march — the month

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