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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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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: leaves · stick · shower · nail · saw · band · jam · sharp

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. shower — rain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — exactly
  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