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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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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: cold · arm · stick · ball · lie · file · ruler · board

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. cold — an illness
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — a monarch

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