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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. file — a document
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — a container
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. toast — bread
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. face — to point toward
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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