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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. present — there

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