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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — a country
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — ground
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bass — low music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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