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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: ruler · tear · lean · stand · wind · file

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a document
  4. tear — to rip
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch

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