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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · rush · rock · file · scale · craft · bound · lie

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. file — a document
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — clever
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — tied together
  17. file — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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