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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · tube · sharp · rock · snap · nail · club · craft

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — the underground
  4. club — for dancing
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — boats
  16. club — a group
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — a container
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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