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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pitcher · squash · scale · hide · saw · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — in music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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