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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: rule · ruler · board · tube · pound · snap · file · last

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. last — final
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to click
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a document
  18. last — finally
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. last — to go on
  24. rule — a law

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