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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.

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: ball · sharp · can · fan · spell · track · nail · clip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. clip — a video
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. clip — to cut

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