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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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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: mouse · land · tear · object · game · file · tube · ruler

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. object — to protest
  3. game — wild animals
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — an aim
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a document
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a match

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