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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. file — a document
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — a contest
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a face
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ruler — a monarch

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