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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: file · bay · race · wave · roll · bowl · content · lie

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lie — to recline
  6. race — a contest
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. content — the amount

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