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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — finally
  4. race — a contest
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — final
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. snap — to click
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — to crush

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