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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fine · clip · press · dip · mark · charge · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. charge — a price
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a grade
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — to sink
  15. press — to push
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — to cut
  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