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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: bound · pit · cold · dip · tear · jam · safe · toast

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — not warm
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — certain
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cold — an illness
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. toast — the most admired

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