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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. race — humankind
  6. file — a tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a document

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