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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: stick · file · object · wound · swing · leaves · ruler · fine

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. object — to protest
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — an aim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a document
  23. object — a thing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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