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

Word bank: chest · saw · clip · bound · cue · firm · file · shower

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. clip — to cut
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. file — a tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — decided
  20. clip — a video
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — steady

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