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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: march · toast · fan · field · lean · file · key · ruler

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. file — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. lean — thin
  15. file — a document
  16. field — for sport
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — a subject
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — music
  22. toast — bread
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ruler — a monarch

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