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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. present — the time now
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — there
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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