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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · current · ruler · fall · cell · face

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fall — the season
  14. face — to confront
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — a phone
  17. current — of water
  18. file — a document

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