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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. snap — to click
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — after costs

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