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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — certain
  3. chest — a box
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. file — a document
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. file — a line of people

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