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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 120 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: cold · rest · fan · wave · sharp · suit · mouse · bark

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — a break

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