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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: present · cabinet · saw · file · wave · land · sharp · can

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a document
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — to come down
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. land — a country
  24. sharp — exactly

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