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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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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: dip · sharp · net · fan · spring · can · mark · straw

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a trace
  16. sharp — clever
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. net — in sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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