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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: squash · sharp · calf · bear · rash · file · nail · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — clever
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. last — finally
  20. squash — the sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — a series

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