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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: rule · file · foot · race · hide · craft

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — humankind
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — a measure
  8. craft — boats
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — a law
  16. race — the arms race
  17. file — a document
  18. race — a contest

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