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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: foot · bay · band · club · rash · cabinet · fan · rush

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a music group
  9. club — a group
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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