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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · sharp · wound · fan · track · nail · dip · rock

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — to cool the air

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