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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kick — in football
  3. cap — a lid
  4. present — a gift
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pit — a hole
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — there
  19. pit — in a race
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. date — the fruit

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