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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: hand · snap · roll · sharp · nail · net · calf · can

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — for catching
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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