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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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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: dip · file · nail · bound · sharp · jam · mate · row

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bound — tied together
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — certain
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mate — a partner
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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