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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: chip · band · mug · mate · trunk · net · nail · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — a face
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — for catching
  6. mug — to rob
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. sharp — clever
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. chip — for betting
  12. net — after costs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chip — to eat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a ring
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mug — a cup
  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