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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. present — the time now
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — for pool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — a gift
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — to tease
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a signal
  22. present — there
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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