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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: ruler · bark · plane · arm · scale · lean · file · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — size or range
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — for weighing

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