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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: file · race · craft · drill · mate · toast · charge · dip

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mate — a partner
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — a skill
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — boats
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. race — a contest
  19. charge — in control
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. drill — a practice
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — a friend
  24. file — a 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