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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: patient · sharp · nail · file · object · stock · saw · staff

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — a stick
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. object — a thing
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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