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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 120 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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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: pound · fall · fan · drill · key · straw · racket · stem

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. drill — the tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — a weight
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pound — to hit hard

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