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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. file — a document
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. face — part of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pound — a weight
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — clever

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