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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: file · press · mark · fork · coach · sharp · mug · hand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. press — to push
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — newspapers
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hand — in cards
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — a face
  23. hand — help
  24. fork — to eat with

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