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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cell — in biology
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — a position
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. sharp — exactly

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