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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 · file · scale · drill · current · fall · wave · mine

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. file — a line of people
  21. scale — in music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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