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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 116 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 · plane · rock · kick · rest · wake · rush · sharp

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — in football
  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