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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
468
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: can · mouse · file · chair · present · spell · sharp · stem

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chair — a leader
  3. present — there
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. file — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. file — a document
  14. stem — to come from
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — the time now
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chair — a professorship

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