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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — to cut
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — happening now
  7. file — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a document
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — of water
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — electric
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. spell — magic

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