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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 116 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: fan · cap · lean · kid · lie · land · ball · suit

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — to recline
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — a country
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. land — to come down
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cap — a hat

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