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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
468
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: face · craft · wake · net · sharp · ruler · nail · pound

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — part of the head
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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