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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a document
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. race — a contest
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. drill — the tool

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