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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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Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a document
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — there
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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