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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 116 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: fan · ruler · bear · wave · cell · sharp · nail · object

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — an aim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in biology
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — on a finger

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