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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · spring · mark · content · last · dip · bay · scale

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a trace
  3. last — final
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. scale — size or range
  11. file — a tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — the amount
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. file — a document
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — happy
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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