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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 · can · plane · lash · branch · ruler · press · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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