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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: file · roll · straw · stick · bay · court · ruler · staff

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a document
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. roll — a cake
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a line of people
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. court — for sport

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