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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: object · rush · fan · sharp · bowl · can · branch · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. object — an aim
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — a thing
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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