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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — for a computer

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