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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
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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: deal · sharp · file · cabinet · fine · saw · bear · leaves

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — high quality
  16. file — a document
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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