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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: file · rash · mark · tube · can · roll · lie · ruler

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a document
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — to be able to
  18. roll — a list
  19. file — a tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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