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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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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: sharp · lean · kid · band · prune · fan · file · bank

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. band — a music group
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a document
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kid — child
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — to bend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  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