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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. rush — hurry
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. race — humankind
  7. roll — a cake
  8. race — the arms race
  9. suit — clothes
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. object — a thing
  14. drill — army training
  15. roll — a list
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — to protest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. race — a contest
  22. file — a tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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