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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — of a river
  14. clip — to cut
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pop — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spring — a coil
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. spring — of water

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