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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. key — in music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — the underground
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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