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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bound — certain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — the animal

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