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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. squash — the sport
  20. swing — in golf
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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