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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
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: track · bore · file · leaves · sharp · spring · saw · arm

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — a path
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. spring — the season
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. track — a song
  21. file — a tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spring — of water

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