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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fine · stand · rush · leaves · last · fan · bank

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. last — finally
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — final
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — all right

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