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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. clip — a video
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fine — all right
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a document
  15. board — to get on
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spell — letters
  24. plane — in geometry

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