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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 116 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: fall · ball · mate · mug · mark · hide · sharp · file

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — clever
  7. file — a tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. file — a document
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — the season

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