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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a document
  3. clip — to cut
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. file — a line of people
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. clip — a video
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. branch — a division
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — for paper
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chip — to eat

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