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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. can — to be able to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. last — finally
  20. suit — in cards
  21. race — a contest
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — a hole
  24. last — final

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