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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: nail · key · cap · tear · sharp · plane · cell · charge

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — in control
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cell — a phone
  10. charge — a price
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — electricity
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cell — in biology
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — in music

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