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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — a company
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. file — a tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — a measure
  20. file — a document
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — the bottom

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