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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. object — a thing
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. board — a committee
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — to protest
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. pit — in a race

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