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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. race — humankind
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — a price
  6. current — electric
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — in control
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. current — happening now
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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