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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.

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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 · fan · wave · lean · rule · band · bore · mouse

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — to bend
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a ring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lean — thin

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