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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: ball · rush · clip · file · roll · saw · sharp · nail

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a dance
  6. roll — a list
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. clip — a video
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a great time
  15. file — a tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — exactly

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