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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. file — a tool

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