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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bass — low music
  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