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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: sharp · fan · bank · file · kick · craft · shower · mark

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — a trace
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — boats
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — a skill
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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