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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a line of people
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — army training
  15. file — a document
  16. kid — child
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. kid — to tease
  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