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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: club · key · wake · sharp · board · lash · snap · nail

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — in music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. sharp — clever
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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