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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a document
  10. bat — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — to handle
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bound — certain

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