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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: fork · clip · bank · charge · file · lie · cell · foot

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — to recline
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. clip — a video
  18. cell — a phone
  19. file — a document
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — in control
  24. lie — an untruth

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