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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.

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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: file · pit · hide · saw · sharp · suit · wind · cap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — of ice
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — to fit
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — a hat
  21. file — a tool
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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