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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
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: arm · can · nail · wind · lean · foot · bear · fan

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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