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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. race — the arms race
  3. scale — in music
  4. file — a document
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — size or range
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a hat
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. swing — to play on

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