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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: bank · cap · straw · fan · track · arm · sharp · ground

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a hat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — a part of something

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