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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. clip — a video
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. bore — to tire
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — decided
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. foot — the bottom

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