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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a line of people
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — of a river
  5. clip — a video
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. file — a document
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tear — to rip
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — from crying

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