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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.

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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: net · bear · board · mate · wind · sharp · track · nail

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — for catching
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — in sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — the animal

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