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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: sharp · file · wave · season · present · content · snap · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — of the year
  5. file — a document
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — there
  9. file — a tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a line of people
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. present — a gift
  16. snap — to click
  17. season — in sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — the amount
  22. present — the time now
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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