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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: sharp · nail · rash · kick · club · bay · wound · drill

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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