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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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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: lash · bay · band · nail · saw · sharp · track · bore

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — a path
  6. sharp — clever
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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