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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pop — soda
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a hat
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. file — a tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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