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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: sharp · fan · saw · stick · wind · key · wake · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — clever
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — in sport
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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