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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — an aim
  7. toast — bread
  8. spring — the season
  9. cap — of ice
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — a thing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — of water
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. lean — to bend

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