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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. race — humankind
  7. content — the amount
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — a face
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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