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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. toast — bread
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. staff — employees
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. clip — a video
  22. file — a tool
  23. staff — employees
  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