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

Word bank: lash · chip · wound · file · race · ruler

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. file — a tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — a contest
  10. chip — to eat
  11. race — the arms race
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a document

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