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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for dancing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — a group
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tear — to rip

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