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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 · mug · cabinet · wind · jam · toast · cell · bark

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. toast — bread
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — a face
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mug — a cup

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