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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a document
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — of ice
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — a hat

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