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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. file — a document
  3. bore — to drill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ball — a great time
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bass — low music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — what's left

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