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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 120 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 · hand · ruler · court · object · mug · mine · nail

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — a thing
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. court — for sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — help
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mug — a cup
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — a face

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