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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 120 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: track · fan · sharp · nail · present · last · wave · spell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. track — a path
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — a short time
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. last — finally
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spell — magic
  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