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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: ruler · craft · wind · suit · file · hand · arm · saw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. file — a document
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — clothes
  13. craft — boats
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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