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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 120 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: file · rule · ruler · wind · lash · current · stick · root

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a document
  11. current — electric
  12. root — of a word
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — government
  16. current — of water
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a 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