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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: object · squash · nail · roll · sharp · rock · spring · deal

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — of water
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — to protest
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spring — the season
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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