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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. roll — a list
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — help
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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