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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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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: fall · march · foot · mouse · mug · sharp · fan · deal

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fall — to drop
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mug — a face
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fall — the season
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. sharp — exactly

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