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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: tear · cabinet · fan · arm · bay · sharp · roll · bowl

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. roll — a list
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. roll — on a roll

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