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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. fine — a penalty

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