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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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 · plane · sharp · leaves · present · saw · racket · bear

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. file — a line of people

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