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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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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: drill · arm · cell · bay · file · cue · ruler · march

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a tool
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. file — a document
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — army training
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. drill — the tool
  24. march — the month

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