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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: stick · saw · rock · sharp · branch · chest · file · key

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chest — a box
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a tool
  7. key — in music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a document

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