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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
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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 · saw · march · fork · mine · jam · wave · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  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