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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 116 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 · lean · leaves · wound · suit · mine · bowl · sharp

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lean — to bend
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wound — an injury

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