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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · perch · sharp · leaves · nail · drill · rush · snap

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — clever
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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