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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: saw · pit · band · wave · ball · ruler · branch · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. branch — a division
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a music group
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a bank

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