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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a document
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — electricity
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. charge — a price
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. track — a path

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