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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cap — a lid
  4. clip — a video
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — a price
  9. board — to get on
  10. file — a document
  11. last — finally
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — ground
  14. last — final
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rock — to move gently

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