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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: key · object · stem · race · charge · file · calf · mark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. race — the arms race
  8. charge — a price
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — to protest
  12. file — a document
  13. stem — to come from
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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