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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · mug · bowl · clip · craft · present · key · snap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a line of people
  3. clip — to cut
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. clip — for paper
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — the time now
  9. file — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. present — a gift
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to click
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. key — for a lock
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. key — in music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — to roll

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