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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. race — humankind
  4. wound — an injury
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a document
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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