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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bass — low music
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. degree — temperature
  17. last — final
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — in a race
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rock — to move gently

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