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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — ground
  17. file — a line of people
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — moving air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — a country

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