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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 · rest · can · ground · ruler · chest · sharp · face

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rest — a break
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. face — to confront
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chest — a box
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — what's left

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