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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. clip — a video
  11. net — after costs
  12. clip — to cut
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. file — a line of people

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