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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. current — electric
  7. cap — of ice
  8. race — humankind
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — decided
  11. kid — to tease
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — ground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kid — child
  22. firm — steady
  23. land — a country
  24. current — of water

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