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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · game · fan · branch · present · fork · wave · temple

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. game — wild animals
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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