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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a document
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — to visit
  8. file — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. file — a line of people
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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