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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. last — final
  9. roll — a list
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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