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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.

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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: nail · spell · sharp · can · fork · shower · arm · swing

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — rain
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — a tin
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. swing — music
  14. spell — letters
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — magic
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. nail — for a hammer

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