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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · content · stock · file · spell · lean · chair · sharp

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. content — happy
  3. spell — letters
  4. lean — thin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — goods
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — the amount
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stock — shares
  21. file — a tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. saw — the tool

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