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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — for digging
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — to get on

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