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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — music
  3. key — in music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — in a race
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — ground
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — thin
  23. pit — a hole
  24. land — to come down

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