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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: fan · sharp · file · nail · deal · rule · roll · pass

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. roll — a list
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. file — a document
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rule — government
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a tool

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