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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: fan · capital · track · fine · branch · fork · lean · snap

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to click
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a path
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — to cool the air

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