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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — in a race
  16. charge — a price
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — a hole
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bat — the animal

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