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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. file — a document
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cold — not warm
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. board — a flat piece

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