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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 120 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: file · bank · lie · clip · track · snap · fork · tube

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. track — a song
  6. file — a tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — in a road
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — to recline

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