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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 · spell · net · band · sharp · rock · roll · last

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — finally
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rock — to move gently

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