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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — humankind
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a document
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cabinet — ministers

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