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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: stock · plane · present · saw · coach · nail · sharp · snap

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — clever
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — a gift
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — there
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — an aircraft

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