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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: fan · rush · kick · foot · cabinet · season · roll · date

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. season — in sport
  10. roll — a list
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cabinet — ministers

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