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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · squash · file · current · bowl · clip · mug · suit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. clip — a video
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a cup
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. current — of water
  12. file — a tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — happening now
  22. mug — to rob
  23. clip — for paper
  24. squash — the sport

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