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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · toast · file · sharp · deal · drill

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — a practice
  12. toast — bread
  13. drill — army training
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — clever
  18. toast — the most admired

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