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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: date · mug · wax · bound · clip · key · mine · file

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — to grow
  4. key — in music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a document
  7. date — the fruit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — to rob
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mug — a face
  24. key — the most important part

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