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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. shower — rain
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — a place of worship

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