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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: fork · board · nail · rush · mate · craft · drill · sharp

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. craft — a skill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — clever

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