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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — for paper
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. clip — to cut
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rock — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — a video
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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