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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. object — a thing
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a document
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rash — a series
  12. file — a tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — to protest
  16. file — a line of people
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — in cards
  21. object — an aim
  22. race — a contest
  23. face — to confront
  24. race — the arms race

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