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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: mug · bat · file · craft · ruler · lie · staff · race

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a line of people
  5. race — a contest
  6. file — a tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — to rob
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. craft — a skill

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