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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. race — humankind
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pit — a hole
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. race — a contest
  24. dip — a sauce

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