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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. clip — for paper
  4. file — a line of people
  5. charge — a price
  6. spring — of water
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. file — a document
  15. mug — a cup
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — to cut
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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