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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 116 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: lean · fine · file · sharp · mate · drill · mug · pit

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. file — a tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — a practice
  12. file — a document
  13. fine — all right
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a line of people
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pit — a hole
  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