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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — hurry
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — to eat
  8. clip — a video
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — a series
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — for paper

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