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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — part of the head
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. toast — bread
  23. bass — low music
  24. capital — a big letter

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