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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. file — a tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pit — in a race
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — a hole
  23. date — the fruit
  24. branch — of a bank

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