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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: arm · face · file · mine · pit · toast · spring · mouse

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spring — the season
  20. face — to confront
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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