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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: fan · stick · last · foot · pitcher · mark · cold · safe

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cold — an illness
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. last — to go on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — to cool the air

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