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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: lean · net · spring · foot · kid · fan · date · ruler

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spring — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — after costs
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — the fruit
  18. kid — child
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — for catching
  24. foot — 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