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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
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: file · jam · present · face · bat · drill · clip · staff

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. file — a line of people
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — a video
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — army training
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. clip — for paper
  18. staff — a stick
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — part of the head
  22. clip — to cut
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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