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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: sharp · march · file · nail · mouse · toast · stock · lie

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — clever
  3. toast — bread
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. file — a tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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