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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
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: toast · cabinet · racket · straw · leaves · dip · fan · chest

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to sink
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — bread
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chest — of your body

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