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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: foot · club · bear · wind · fan · leaves · bay · sharp

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for golf
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. foot — a measure

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