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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.

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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 · bank · bay · press · saw · sharp · fork · stick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. press — to push
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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