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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.

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: bowl · hand · foot · spring · lie · file · chest · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spring — a coil
  3. file — a document
  4. hand — help
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chest — a box
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — to roll

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