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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — a song
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — for golf
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. club — a group
  18. wax — to grow
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — clever

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