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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — a country
  18. file — a tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pass — to succeed
  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