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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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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: sharp · wave · pitcher · temple · fan · bore · fall · key

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. sharp — exactly
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  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