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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: clip · present · date · vault · current · file · mug · chip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — to rob
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — the fruit
  9. present — there
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — the time now
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a line of people
  15. present — a gift
  16. clip — a video
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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