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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. object — a thing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — an aim
  23. scale — size or range
  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