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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rash — hasty
  5. race — a contest
  6. object — an aim
  7. race — humankind
  8. rash — a series
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to click
  11. object — a thing
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. land — to come down
  15. race — the arms race
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — to protest
  19. file — a tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. club — for golf
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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