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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kid — to tease
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kid — child
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — for sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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