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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 120 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
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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: staff · bore · file · press · ball · object · clip · leaves

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a document
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bore — to tire
  12. clip — for paper
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a dance
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. press — a publisher
  21. file — a line of people
  22. object — a thing
  23. staff — a stick
  24. object — an aim

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