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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 · file · lie · key · wave · fine · fan · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. clip — a video
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a line of people
  24. key — the most important part

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