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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fall — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — in music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. foot — a measure
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pit — in a race
  12. dip — to sink
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cap — of ice
  22. shower — rain
  23. fine — all right
  24. shower — to wash

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