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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. court — of law
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — a video
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. file — a tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — of a king
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. clip — to cut

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