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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: bear · mate · wind · ruler · cap · charge · file · can

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cap — of ice
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wind — moving air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — the animal

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