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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to confront
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wax — for sculpting

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