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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — in geometry

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