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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: file · roll · perch · spring · firm · kick · sharp · mate

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. roll — a list
  3. file — a document
  4. mate — a friend
  5. firm — decided
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — in football
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — the season
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. firm — a company
  24. roll — a cake

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