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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
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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: ground · file · wave · field · foot · sharp · suit · wound

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. file — a tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — farmland
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — a position
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — a subject
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. file — a line of people
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. sharp — with an edge

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