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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
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: ball · sharp · fine · nail · fan · cabinet · cold · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cold — not warm
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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