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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. net — after costs

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