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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — a path
  5. present — a gift
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — there
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. file — a tool
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — the time now

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