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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · deal · fall · dip · lash · tube

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — the season
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a hole

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