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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · file · suit · chip · race · wake

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — a contest
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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