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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — happening now
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kid — child
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fine — all right
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — in a race

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