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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: object · cell · file · can · firm · date · ruler · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — a trail
  4. date — the fruit
  5. object — an aim
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cell — in biology
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — a thing

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