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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · charge · hand · club · ruler · straw · mate · land

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mate — a partner
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a document
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — for golf
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — ground
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. file — a tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — to come down

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