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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. race — humankind
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — a line
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — a contest
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bark — to shout
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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