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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a tool
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. file — a document
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — a grade
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kid — child
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mark — to pay attention

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