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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 · mate · fan · wave · straw · lie · rush · mug

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — to breed
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — a face
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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