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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · face · present · drill · pitcher · sharp · can · wave

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — there
  3. face — part of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. present — a gift
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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