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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.

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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: bore · bay · arm · squash · nail · clip · file · chip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — for paper
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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