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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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Word bank
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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: dip · pit · foot · roll · stand · bear · tear · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tear — from crying
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. roll — a cake
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — in a race

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