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

Word bank: snap · cap · cabinet · file · ruler · race

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. file — a document
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — of ice
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a lid
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers

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