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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — thin
  7. bank — of a river
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. court — of law
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — to point toward
  24. safe — a strongbox

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