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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: mark · foot · dip · patient · fan · land · drill · suit

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to sink
  12. drill — the tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. land — a country
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — a practice
  21. land — ground
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  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