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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: tear · fork · nail · sharp · kick · mine · mug · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. kick — in football

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