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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — to bend
  11. row — to paddle
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lean — thin
  15. pop — music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — on a finger

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