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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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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: nail · row · ruler · rule · stand · file · bank · club

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. file — a document
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — a group
  19. row — a line
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — government

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