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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · file · bank · sharp · bound · fan · racket · perch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — of a river
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a line of people
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — for money

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