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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rush — hurry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. file — a document
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mug — a face
  20. bear — the animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — a stick
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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