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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.

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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: fork · cap · saw · calf · lean · net · fan · suit

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. saw — the tool

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