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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: leaves · file · snap · ruler · row · chest · saw · face

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a document
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a line of people
  5. face — to point toward
  6. row — a line
  7. snap — to click
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. file — a tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chest — a box
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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