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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · nail · deal · sharp · file · press · saw · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. file — a document
  4. press — to push
  5. kid — child
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kid — to tease
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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