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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — happening now
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — clever
  14. file — a tool
  15. current — of water
  16. staff — a stick
  17. deal — to handle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — electric
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. arm — a part of something

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