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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: can · race · file · wave · hide · roll · content · rock

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. file — a document
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — a cake
  6. content — happy
  7. roll — a list
  8. rock — a stone
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — a contest
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  24. can — a tin

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