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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cold — an illness
  22. clip — to cut
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — a video

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