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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — a subject
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. field — farmland
  10. tube — a container
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — bread
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — part of the head

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