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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: present · wake · nail · pass · spring · hand · stick · net

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hand — help
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — a trail

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