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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: kid · cabinet · nail · fan · sharp · ruler · spell · wake

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — letters
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kid — child

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