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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 · mug · kid · land · saw · wake · ruler · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — a country
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — to come down
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — ground
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — child
  24. saw — the tool

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