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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. file — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. toast — bread
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. file — a document
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. suit — to fit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bear — the animal

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