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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — a position
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wake — a trail

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