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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. file — a line of people
  3. race — humankind
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cold — not warm
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. suit — in cards
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — a contest
  21. file — a document
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — to fit

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