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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 116 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 · lie · field · hand · sharp · saw · tube · current

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — farmland
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. field — a subject
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. field — for sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hand — help

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