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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pit — in a race
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cap — a hat
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. cap — of ice

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