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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: hide · sharp · spring · file · arm · wake · toast · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — clever
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — a coil
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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