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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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 tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. file — a document
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — to crush
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. file — a line of people

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