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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. file — a line of people
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to point toward
  8. root — of a plant
  9. file — a document
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. face — part of the head
  18. snap — to click
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — of ice
  24. nail — for a hammer

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