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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
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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: rash · wave · race · squash · sharp · drill · file · track

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. file — a document
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — a path
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a song
  22. drill — army training
  23. file — a tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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