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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 · wind · stand · sharp · spring · cue · plane · jam

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a hint
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cue — a signal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wind — moving air
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — of water
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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