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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fall — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — letters
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — in football
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a friend

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