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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ground — crushed
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — electric
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — the earth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. current — happening now
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. current — of water

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