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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · cap · leaves · fan · deal · lean · rash · fall

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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