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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. clip — a video
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. clip — for paper
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. mine — for digging
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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