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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — a video
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cue — a signal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. object — an aim
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. suit — to fit
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. file — a tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. file — a line of people
  24. clip — for paper

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