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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. clip — for paper
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a line of people
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. firm — a company
  18. file — a tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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