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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · can · fall · mine · rest · row · mark · fan

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — a break
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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