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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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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: lean · file · cue · charge · sharp · drill · calf · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — in control
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. drill — army training

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