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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 · ground · saw · kid · leaves · can · rock · deal

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ground — a position
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. kid — to tease

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