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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to bend
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. toast — bread
  7. firm — a company
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — thin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. firm — decided
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. firm — steady
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to rest against

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