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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 120 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: fork · mark · spring · fan · bank · bound · mouse · rash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. rash — a series
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. spring — of water
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — on the skin

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