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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 120 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: nail · sharp · wave · wound · shower · mate · lash · can

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. shower — rain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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