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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: mate · fork · drill · present · wave · lash · leaves · sharp

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — there
  17. sharp — clever
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mate — a friend

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