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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. race — the arms race
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a document
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rest — a break
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — the animal

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