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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — a video
  8. file — a tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — a weight
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — an injury
  20. clip — to cut
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rock — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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