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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: toast · tear · jam · file · staff · key · suit · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — to fit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — a stick
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — in music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. file — a line of people
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. staff — employees
  18. suit — in cards
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. toast — bread
  21. clip — for paper
  22. file — a tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. file — a document

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