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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: clip · dip · pound · mouse · calf · chair · file · ball

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. clip — to cut
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — for paper

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