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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: wind · roll · craft · plane · fan · saw · wave · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. plane — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. roll — a list
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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