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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: row · cabinet · suit · press · fan · mouse · foot · hand

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — to push
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. row — a line
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. row — to paddle

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