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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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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: file · row · ruler · coach · hide · can · race · bat

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. race — a contest
  3. file — a document
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. file — a tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — the arms race
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — humankind
  17. bat — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — animal skin
  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