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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: wave · band · wound · bear · nail · sharp · hide · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. band — a ring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — with your hand

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