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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — ground
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. object — an aim
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — in cards
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — to come down
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a document

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