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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: wound · pitcher · clip · press · bank · file · staff · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. file — a line of people
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a document
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — a skill
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a tool
  24. staff — a stick

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