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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: arm · mate · file · nail · rule · stand · current · fork

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. file — a document
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rule — government
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a tool
  21. current — electric
  22. stand — to bear
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — to eat with

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