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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: stick · track · kid · pass · land · sharp · bore · nail

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — child
  7. land — to come down
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — to tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. land — ground
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pass — to succeed

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