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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — clever
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a line of people
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. nail — for a hammer

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