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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · object · nail · hide · wave · ground · net · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — for catching
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — to rip
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. sharp — clever
  16. net — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. net — after costs
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ground — a position

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