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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 116 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: last · snap · dip · sharp · present · shower · track · nail

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — final
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. last — finally
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — the time now
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. shower — rain
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. track — a song

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