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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. file — a tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — humankind
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — a contest
  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