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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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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: bowl · rash · deal · bay · pound · file · clip · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. file — a document
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. file — a tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rash — a series
  23. bowl — a dish
  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