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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: toast · saw · lean · file · key · stand · ruler · hand

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — thin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. hand — in cards
  23. file — a document
  24. stand — for spectators

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