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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. march — the month
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a line of people
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a face
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. march — music
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a cup
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — bread
  24. plane — an aircraft

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