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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: chair · file · calf · sharp · mug · cap · roll · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — a cake
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a document
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — a list
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — a leader
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chair — to sit on

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