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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: file · rock · cabinet · saw · clip · dip · chair · bulb

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — a video
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — to sink

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