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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — crushed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ground — a position
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — a break
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — in sport
  24. dip — to sink

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