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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — humankind
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. race — a contest
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — certain
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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