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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a line of people
  4. kick — in football
  5. race — a contest
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. present — a gift
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — there
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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