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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a line of people
  16. race — humankind
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — for betting

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