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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: lean · present · roll · wave · scale · fork · stick · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — in a road
  8. present — there
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — thin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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