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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: file · swing · bat · ruler · wave · mug · rest · fan

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bat — in an idiom

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