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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — an aim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ground — a position
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — a video
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. track — to keep track
  20. file — a tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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