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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 116 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 · rest · saw · band · club · kick · cap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — a break
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kick — with a leg

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