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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: board · ruler · club · stem · rest · wound · file · rule

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — a group
  17. rule — a law
  18. club — for dancing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. club — for golf
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a document
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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