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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fall — the season
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — to paddle
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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