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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: rest · lean · race · file · saw · jam · mug · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. file — a document
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — a stone

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