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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — a weight
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. charge — in control

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