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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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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: plane · rush · rest · ruler · court · file · rule · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rule — a law
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — of law
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of a king
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. plane — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. court — for sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — there
  24. plane — in geometry

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