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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 116 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: lean · rule · drill · file · ruler · charge · rest · mark

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — electricity
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rule — a law
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. lean — thin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to bend
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rule — government
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mark — a grade

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