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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: sharp · leaves · last · rock · hide · cell · land · nail

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — to go on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — finally
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — to move gently

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