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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: kick · wound · craft · ruler · file · mate · mug · race

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — humankind
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mug — to rob
  11. file — a document
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. race — a contest
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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