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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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Word bank
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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: calf · hand · pass · file · race · track · saw · rush

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. track — a song
  3. file — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a path
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hand — help
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — a permit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hand — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

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