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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: sharp · saw · drill · file · deal · ruler · kid · fine

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fine — all right
  11. file — a tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. file — a document
  24. kid — to tease

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