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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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