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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: fall · fan · stick · foot · can · cabinet · bear · degree

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — to be able to
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — a supporter

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