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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: bay · rest · file · board · rash · chip · clip · saw

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. file — a tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. clip — for paper
  21. file — a document
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — a break

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