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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: foot · pit · shower · lean · ball · wake · fan · straw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — to wash
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. shower — rain
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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