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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: lash · fan · sharp · fork · ground · bank · scale · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bank — of a river
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — a garden tool

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