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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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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: rest · hide · file · club · clip · key · current · calf

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. current — happening now
  5. club — for golf
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. club — for dancing
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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