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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: mate · sharp · file · hide · wound · foot · cue · jam

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cue — a signal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cue — a hint
  10. foot — a measure
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. sharp — clever
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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