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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: straw · can · mark · foot · bowl · fan · stem · date

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — a measure
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — a tin

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