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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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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: rule · lean · toast · cue · tear · wound · nail · sharp

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tear — from crying
  6. toast — bread
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rule — government
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — for pool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lean — to rest against

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