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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 · mug · arm · current · pop · ruler · lie · wake

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — electric
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. file — a document
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — to recline
  23. file — a tool
  24. pop — soda

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