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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stand — to bear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — a thing
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — obliged
  16. file — a document
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. file — a tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. object — an aim
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — a tool

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