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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cell — in biology
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — to be able to
  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