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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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