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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mate · file · cabinet · sharp · lie · cold · mouse · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a document
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — with an edge

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