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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. file — a document
  21. stand — to bear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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