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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.

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: foot · fan · mug · tube · wake · dip · racket · fall

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tube — the underground
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — a measure
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — a container

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