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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. object — a thing
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — an aim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — in sport

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