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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: rush · net · ruler · lie · file · chip · bound · foot

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chip — for betting
  3. file — a document
  4. net — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. file — a tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — certain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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