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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — to cut
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — the time now
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a document
  10. face — part of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — there
  13. net — after costs
  14. file — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. face — to point toward
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — a thing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. file — a line of people
  24. face — to confront

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