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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 120 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: fan · sharp · game · wound · bank · present · chip · lean

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to bend
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — thin
  12. present — there
  13. game — a match
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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