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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: toast · mate · jam · lean · row · ruler · file · kick

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a line
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. toast — bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a document
  11. mate — a partner
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. file — a line of people
  17. kick — in football
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lean — thin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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