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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.

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: ruler · file · perch · hide · band · bound · staff · scale

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. scale — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — certain
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — a stick
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. staff — employees

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