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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. current — happening now
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — electric
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — a company
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. current — of water
  24. clip — to cut

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