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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 · tube · ruler · can · clip · toast · mug · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chest — a box
  5. toast — bread
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mug — a face
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — the month
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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