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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: fine · file · pop · lie · mark · fall · capital · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a document
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ground — crushed
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — the season
  23. file — a tool
  24. pop — soda

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