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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tear — to rip
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — for tennis

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