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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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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: wake · chip · file · root · clip · prune · deal · bound

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chip — to eat
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. clip — a video
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. root — the cause
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. file — a line of people
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — certain

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