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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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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 · ruler · bay · sharp · lean · branch · band · press

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. press — newspapers
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. press — to push
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. sharp — clever
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a rubber band

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