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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
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: mate · clip · sharp · drill · mark · fine · chair · file

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — all right
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mark — a grade
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — high quality

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