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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a line
  19. chip — for betting
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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