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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · wind · ruler · toast · face · ground · jam · fork

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. toast — bread
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to confront

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