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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.

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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a document
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. file — a tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. net — in sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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