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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — in a race
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — in a tire

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