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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — electric
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — a path
  17. current — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. clip — for paper
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. nail — on a finger

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