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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: net · stick · hand · track · sharp · firm · saw · nail

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — a company
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — after costs
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — help
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. firm — decided
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a path

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