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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — to crush
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rash — a series
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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