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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — happy
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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