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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: bank · lean · toast · cabinet · tear · fan · land · kick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — to come down
  13. lean — thin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — a country
  20. toast — bread
  21. kick — in football
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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