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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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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: toast · fan · nail · face · jam · spring · file · march

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spring — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a line of people
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. march — the month
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. file — a document
  24. jam — a tight spot

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