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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. file — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mark — a grade
  8. charge — in control
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mark — a trace
  15. clip — a video
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — a price
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a document

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