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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: fall · drill · pop · cell · ruler · file · fan · jam

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. drill — the tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a document
  7. cell — a phone
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — soda
  17. file — a tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fall — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

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