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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — to protest
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a document
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. mark — a trace
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cap — a lid
  12. content — happy
  13. object — a thing
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — the amount
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a line of people
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a hat
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. snap — to click
  24. content — videos and posts

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