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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 120 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
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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: deal · mark · straw · fan · last · safe · degree · cabinet

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — finally
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — final
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mark — a trace
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — a straw man

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