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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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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: ruler · cap · bark · clip · snap · file · firm · face

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. firm — steady
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to click
  5. face — to point toward
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — decided
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — a lid
  19. face — to confront
  20. file — a tool
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a hat
  23. firm — a company
  24. clip — a video

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