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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: ruler · tear · rush · pit · coach · band · perch · file

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tear — to rip
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a line of people
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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