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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: fan · pit · hand · cabinet · straw · kick · leaves · season

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pit — in a race
  14. season — of the year
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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