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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 · lie · chest · deal · wound · chip · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. deal — to handle
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — to recline
  7. roll — a list
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chip — in a computer
  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