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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a document
  4. object — a thing
  5. present — there
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — high quality
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — the time now
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — to protest
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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