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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: nail · wound · plane · saw · rock · tear · chip · fine

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — for betting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fine — all right
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — from crying

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