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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 · mouse · toast · straw · drill · wave · file · scale

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. drill — a practice
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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