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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 120 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: mug · face · net · sharp · last · nail · bound · stick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. face — part of the head
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. face — to point toward
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — after costs
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — for catching
  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