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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — the arms race
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rash — a series
  10. key — in music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — clothes
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — for a lock

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