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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. charge — a price
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lean — to bend
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — thin
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. clip — to cut
  24. charge — electricity

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