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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 120 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: face · pitcher · file · firm · kid · branch · hide · sharp

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. file — a tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a line of people
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — a division
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to confront

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