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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 120 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: cap · sharp · trunk · band · fan · content · fine · nail

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fine — all right
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. band — a music group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. trunk — of a car

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