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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: tube · tear · last · fan · game · foot · scale · bay

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. game — a match
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — to rip
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — final
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — in music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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