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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.

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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 · cap · land · roll · hand · arm · cabinet · cell

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. roll — a list
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. land — ground
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — part of the body

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