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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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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: firm · kid · band · nail · dip · sharp · field · suit

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — to tease
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. firm — decided
  11. kid — child
  12. firm — steady
  13. band — a ring
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. suit — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. field — a subject
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. field — farmland
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. suit — clothes
  24. dip — a sauce

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