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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 116 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
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: last · pop · file · sharp · ball · mate · rest · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — a partner
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — a short time
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. last — finally
  13. file — a tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — a break
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — music
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spell — magic
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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