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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mug — a face
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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