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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pop — soda
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pop — to visit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — the tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. file — a tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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