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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · file · season · nail · fork · ruler · spring · lie

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — the season
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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