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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. file — a tool
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. roll — a list
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lean — thin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a document
  10. race — a contest
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mate — a partner
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — shares
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — goods
  23. lean — to bend
  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