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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: sharp · bound · nail · march · bay · cell · file · ruler

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cell — in a prison

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