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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mug — a face
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chest — a box
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. clip — to cut
  24. saw — the tool

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