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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — a grade
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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