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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 · stem · lean · dip · foot · coach · wake · nail

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — a measure
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wake — a trail

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