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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: sharp · lean · ruler · press · lash · stick · chip · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. sharp — clever
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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