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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: nail · suit · fork · cell · track · sharp · kick · last

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kick — in football
  15. last — to go on
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — to fit
  21. last — final
  22. cell — a phone
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — finally

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