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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. race — humankind
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. file — a tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — letters
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. race — a contest
  18. club — for golf
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. club — a group

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