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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — a list
  17. deal — to handle
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bound — certain
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cold — not warm

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