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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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. object — an aim
  10. mine — for digging
  11. file — a document
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. shower — rain
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — happening now
  21. race — a contest
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. plane — a tool
  24. race — humankind

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