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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 · wake · chest · racket · nail · saw · lean · track

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — thin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a path
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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