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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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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: mine · file · sharp · nail · wound · straw · leaves · press

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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