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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: object · nail · wound · mark · rush · fan · fine · sharp

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — all right
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — to hurry

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