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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — a contest
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — thin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mug — a face

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