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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — in football
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. shower — to wash
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. race — humankind
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — to recline
  23. race — a contest
  24. file — a line of people

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