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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a line of people
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chest — a box
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. race — humankind
  24. prune — to trim

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