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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: ruler · mate · wound · fall · trunk · scale · file · can

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a document
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — the season
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. scale — size or range
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — in music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of a car

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