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

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — to tease
  5. file — a tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. race — a contest
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mark — a grade
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — to breed
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mate — a friend
  24. safe — out of danger

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