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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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