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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. race — a contest
  4. file — a line of people
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — electric
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — before a funeral

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