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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: mug · file · nail · mine · chair · deal · board · sharp

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a committee
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — to handle
  24. file — a document

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