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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. file — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — to rob
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a trace

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