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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: mine · mark · charge · fan · can · sharp · toast · wound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — clever
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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