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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mark — a grade
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ground — crushed
  12. file — a tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. roll — a list
  24. object — a thing

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