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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. kick — in football
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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