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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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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: lie · sharp · file · key · land · bat · race · club

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a line of people
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — to recline
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for dancing
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. key — in music
  10. file — a document
  11. club — a group
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. file — a tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. land — ground
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — to come down

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