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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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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: saw · sharp · pit · prune · nail · rest · drill · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — a hole
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. drill — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — exactly

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