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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · file · land · scale · board · last · rash · straw

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — finally
  3. file — a tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. straw — dry grass

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