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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: file · current · mouse · band · clip · stick · tube · arm

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — a container
  10. file — a line of people
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — electric
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — happening now
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  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