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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: spell · file · fine · chair · mine · press · ruler · sharp

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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