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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 116 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: firm · leaves · fall · hide · file · chip · clip · chair

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fall — the season
  9. clip — for paper
  10. firm — steady
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. clip — a video
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — to cut
  24. firm — a company

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