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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.

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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 · pass · bowl · hand · wave · stem · fork · race

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. race — humankind
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hand — help

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