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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — to protest
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. object — a thing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mark — a grade

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