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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: file · face · ruler · leaves · wound · rest · scale · ground

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to confront
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ground — a position
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — a break
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. file — a document

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