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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: nail · fine · foot · sharp · swing · lie · tear · perch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. perch — the fish
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — the bottom

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