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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · ball · lash · object · lie · game · march · file

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. object — a thing
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a dance
  15. game — a match
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a line of people
  22. game — wild animals
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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