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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: rush · lie · file · current · clip · racket · spell · swing

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. file — a tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spell — a short time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. clip — to cut
  19. swing — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

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