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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: mouse · can · nail · wound · march · bulb · sharp · lean

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. march — music
  24. lean — thin

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