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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. clip — a video
  3. scale — in music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a dance
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — to bend
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — of a river
  20. current — of water
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. current — happening now
  24. clip — to cut

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