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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. craft — boats
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — a position
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — on a finger

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