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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: stick · foot · tube · prune · hand · can · row · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — a container
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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