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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: staff · tear · race · file · bay · hide · drill · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a document
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — employees
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — humankind
  9. tear — to rip
  10. file — a line of people
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — to eat
  13. staff — employees
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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