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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — a box
  3. club — a group
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wax — to grow
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. firm — a company
  24. chest — of your body

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