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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · fan · foot · present · band · sharp · ground · charge

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ground — the earth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a music group
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — a gift
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — the time now
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spell — magic

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