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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: ruler · wind · sharp · bay · net · file · stick · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — after costs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — with an edge

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