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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a document
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — a video
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — low music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. clip — for paper

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