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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: arm · saw · spell · sharp · fine · spring · wave · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — high quality
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — a short time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — a coil
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — of water
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — magic
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spell — letters

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