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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. capital — money
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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