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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bound — obliged

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