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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — a permit
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. file — a document
  20. race — a contest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rush — a thrill

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