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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ground — a position
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — crushed
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hide — animal skin

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