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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — after costs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — in cards
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — steady
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a tool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — a video
  21. firm — decided
  22. net — in sport
  23. clip — to cut
  24. file — a document

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