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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fine — all right
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mouse — 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