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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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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: rest · snap · clip · sharp · stick · file · deal · drill

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. clip — a video
  16. drill — army training
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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