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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: bowl · file · toast · cap · nail · cell · ruler · band

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. file — a line of people
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — of ice
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. toast — bread
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. file — a document

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