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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 116 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: sharp · snap · fork · fall · cabinet · file · pass · deal

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — to handle
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. file — a tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. file — a document

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