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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. object — an aim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — a hole
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. object — a thing
  15. mug — a cup
  16. object — to protest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mug — a face
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mug — to rob
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — clever

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