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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 120 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: board · can · lean · game · clip · file · sharp · bore

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a match
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. file — a document
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bore — to drill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — to get on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. game — a kind of play

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