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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: sharp · arm · file · patient · pound · nail · present · bear

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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 — exactly
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — the time now
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — a weight
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — for a hammer

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