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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 120 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
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: kick · lean · fan · can · fall · cabinet · coach · bear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — in football

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