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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: sharp · bound · can · ground · tube · lean · pit · fan

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — certain
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — the underground

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