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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. file — a tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — a price
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — of a tree

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