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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: saw · mark · last · sharp · leaves · roll · tear · nail

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — final
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — the tool
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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