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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 124 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — to cut
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — for sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a tool
  17. court — of law
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — a video
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. court — of a king

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