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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — to protest
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — for betting
  15. object — an aim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. race — humankind
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — a thing
  24. straw — a straw man

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