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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. file — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kid — child
  10. press — a publisher
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. clip — a video
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — to push
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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