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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: clip · mark · cue · file · snap · cap · staff · bore

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — of ice
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mark — a grade
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cue — a signal
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a trace
  11. file — a tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. clip — a video
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cue — for pool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. snap — to click

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