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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 120 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: foot · key · branch · nail · sharp · ground · wake · chair

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chair — a leader

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