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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. race — humankind
  5. last — finally
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. last — to go on
  10. file — a document
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pop — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pop — soda

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