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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: sharp · fan · chest · can · bank · bark · mouse · craft

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. craft — boats

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