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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.

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: can · wave · board · mug · capital · fan · mine · sharp

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a committee
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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