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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — humankind
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chest — a box
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. race — the arms race
  24. can — a tin

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