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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. face — part of the head
  9. race — humankind
  10. file — a tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — a box
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — what's left

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