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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — a grade
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mark — to pay attention

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