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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. firm — steady
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pound — a weight
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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