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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: lie · bass · sharp · cell · current · nail · file · calf

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bass — low music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a tool
  10. cell — in biology
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a document
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — electric
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lie — to recline
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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