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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — not warm
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cold — the Cold War

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