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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · sharp · branch · lean · foot · fan · ball · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — in music
  8. branch — a division
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — magic
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. sharp — exactly

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