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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a lid
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — help
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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