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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. club — a group
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — decided
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for golf
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. firm — steady
  24. bulb — of a plant

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