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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 · lean · band · root · bound · suit · mine · foot

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. band — a ring
  5. bound — obliged
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — certain
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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