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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. file — a document
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. game — a match
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — shares
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — wild animals

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