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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — a contest
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a ring
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — a gift
  24. mug — a face

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