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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 116 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: craft · bound · mug · dip · tube · field · file · sharp

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a skill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. file — a tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a line of people
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — a subject
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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