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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: wake · row · staff · nail · fine · sharp · net · temple

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — a stick
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — a trail
  24. staff — employees

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