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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. file — a tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — after costs
  19. file — a document
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — a price
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — the 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