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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
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: rule · present · file · net · safe · stem · sharp · clip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. net — for catching
  9. sharp — clever
  10. present — a gift
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — a video
  13. rule — a law
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. present — there
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — the time now
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — to come from

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