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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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 — a video
  3. march — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — to cut
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — electric
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. march — the month
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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