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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 · row · wound · stick · foot · dip · cabinet · root

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. row — to paddle
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. root — of a word
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. row — a line
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — the bottom

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