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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. field — farmland
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — a subject
  5. wake — a trail
  6. date — the fruit
  7. track — a path
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. field — for sport

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