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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
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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: bank · march · sharp · cell · saw · file · key · squash

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — the month
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. march — the month
  7. key — in music
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cell — in biology
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — a phone

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