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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 · mark · nail · fan · fall · mine · mug · wave

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mug — a face
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fall — the season
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — to drop

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