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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: ruler · present · lie · cap · row · file · deal · hand

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. cap — a lid
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — to recline
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hand — help
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — in cards
  16. present — the time now
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. present — there
  24. file — a tool

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