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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rash — a series
  9. race — humankind
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — in music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. race — a contest
  19. hand — help
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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