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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: sharp · snap · tear · chair · tube · suit · swing · nail

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. swing — to play on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — clothes
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chair — a leader
  19. swing — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. suit — to fit
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tube — a container

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