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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: bulb · track · nail · drill · rest · wound · sharp · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — a break
  20. wound — an injury
  21. drill — a practice
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. nail — on a finger

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