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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tear — from crying
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. clip — a video
  24. ground — the earth

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