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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: arm · mark · file · chip · wound · sharp · saw · firm

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — a grade
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wound — an injury
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — part of the body

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