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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a song
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — a match
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a path
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — wild animals
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — a hole
  22. face — to confront
  23. track — to keep track
  24. dip — a sauce

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