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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lean · fan · sharp · nail · mine · club · stock · leaves

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — a group
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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