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

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. shower — to wash
  5. land — a country
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — rain
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. charge — a price
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. charge — electricity

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