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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · mine · wound · nail · sharp · key · stock · mug

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — the most important part
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — goods
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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