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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: fine · stick · rash · file · ruler · mug · cell · hide

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — to rob
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rash — on the skin

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