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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pit — in a race
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — temperature
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rule — government
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — a law

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