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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 · wound · ruler · board · straw · fine · last · spell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — finally
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. last — final
  8. spell — letters
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a line of people
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — an injury
  13. file — a tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — magic
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — dry grass
  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