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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. race — a contest
  3. object — to protest
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. file — a document
  9. race — humankind
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — government
  13. object — an aim
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. club — a group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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