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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: swing · ruler · fall · hide · race · mouse · file · stick

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a document

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