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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 · bay · last · cabinet · foot · hand · track · suit

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. track — a song
  5. last — to go on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. track — a path
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — finally
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — final
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fan — a supporter

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