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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. dip — to dunk
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — a container
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — a box
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — obliged
  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