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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · wake · drill · key · fan · object · scale · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. 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. race — humankind
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a line of people
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — to protest
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. race — the arms race
  17. object — an aim
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. 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