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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: nail · stand · tear · jam · bound · mug · sharp · ball

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — on your feet

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