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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 · file · rash · rock · swing · cold · bore · net

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rock — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — for catching
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — a line of people

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