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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mug — a cup
  3. race — the arms race
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a document
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mug — a face
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — a friend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — to breed
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. race — a contest
  24. suit — clothes

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