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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.

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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: fan · wake · wave · bowl · leaves · bore · wind · hand

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — with your hand

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