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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. race — a contest
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a line of people

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