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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tear — to rip
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — a face
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — from crying
  11. date — the fruit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. toast — bread
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wound — an injury

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