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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. file — a document
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — goods
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — a contest
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. shower — rain
  19. race — humankind
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  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