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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: fan · saw · bound · spell · bank · lean · last · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — magic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — to go on
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — letters

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