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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — boats
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. march — the month
  13. staff — a stick
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. march — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a line of people
  24. dip — to dunk

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