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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — a contest
  5. file — a document
  6. rash — a series
  7. bound — obliged
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — in a race
  24. race — the arms race

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