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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 · sharp · mouse · dip · deal · cell · fan · land

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — a country
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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