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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — part of the head
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — bread
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. file — a document
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — for digging
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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