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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: pit · hide · hand · dip · fine · ball · mug · saw

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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