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

Word bank: file · ruler · face · deal · cold · rest

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — to confront
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle

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