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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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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: pass · race · cue · file · key · wind · deal · sharp

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — humankind
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — a contest
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — moving air
  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