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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: file · tube · hand · squash · branch · sharp · lie · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hand — in cards
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — help
  19. file — a document
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. squash — the sport
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — the vegetable

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