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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — to shout
  5. file — a document
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. degree — an amount
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chest — a box

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