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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.

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: sharp · bass · foot · mug · file · saw · current · plane

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a cup

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