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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. last — final
  3. file — a document
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. race — a contest
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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